21 Dump-and-Bake Ground Beef Dinners

Ground beef is cheap, easy to find, and somehow always ends up in the fridge, so you might as well do something useful with it. These dump and bake dinners keep things simple by skipping the stovetop and throwing everything in a pan, and letting the oven handle the rest. There’s no need to overthink it or pile up a sink full of dishes. From casseroles to baked pasta and everything in between, these recipes make the most of ground beef without turning dinner into a project.

Mexican Ground Beef Casserole

Ground beef, black beans, tomatoes, and peppers bake together with cheese in one pan, making this a practical choice for nights when time and energy are limited. It takes about 40 minutes from start to finish and doesn’t require any stovetop prep, making it a solid dump-and-bake dinner that still feels complete.
Get the Recipe: Mexican Ground Beef Casserole

Bomb Meatloaf

This meatloaf is mixed in one bowl, shaped by hand, and baked without extra steps. It’s packed with flavor and doesn’t need special ingredients or complicated techniques. Once in the oven, it takes care of itself, making it a good fit for a dump-and-bake meal that uses up ground beef in a way that doesn’t require constant oversight.
Get the Recipe: Bomb Meatloaf

Instant Pot Bolognese

The Instant Pot handles the work of a long-simmered meat sauce using ground beef and pantry staples in a fraction of the time. Once everything’s in the pot, you seal it and walk away. It’s a great alternative when you’re looking for a hands-off ground beef dinner that doesn’t require stovetop monitoring.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Bolognese

Creamy Burrito Casserole

This layered casserole combines tortillas, beef, cheese, and sauce in a baking dish without needing any pre-cooking. You build it cold, bake it hot, and pull out a full meal that only used one dish. It’s a strong example of how dump-and-bake can streamline dinner without cutting corners.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Burrito Casserole

Million Dollar Spaghetti

Cooked pasta, ground beef, and a rich cheese layer get assembled in a casserole dish and baked until bubbly. This recipe is especially helpful when feeding multiple people and keeping prep to a minimum. It uses basic ingredients and turns them into something filling without extra cleanup.
Get the Recipe: Million Dollar Spaghetti

Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Casserole

Uncooked rice, ground beef, and simple seasoning are baked together in a single dish with cheese. There’s no need to cook the rice ahead or brown the meat, which makes this a true dump-and-bake option. It’s also great for batch cooking or leftovers.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Casserole

Italian Tomato Pasta Soup

This soup uses ground beef, sausage, pasta, and escarole in a one-pot meal that leans more toward a stew in heartiness. Once everything is chopped and in the pot, it simmers with minimal attention needed. It’s a practical way to stretch ground beef and bulk up dinner without added prep.
Get the Recipe: Italian Tomato Pasta Soup

Ground Beef Burrito Skillet

Ground beef, beans, rice, and cheese cook in one skillet without the need for boiling or baking. You add everything in stages, but it stays in the same pan, minimizing effort and cleanup. It’s a reliable method for turning basic ingredients into a balanced, quick-fix meal.
Get the Recipe: Ground Beef Burrito Skillet

Instant Pot Beef Chili

The Instant Pot creates a deeply seasoned chili using ground beef and beans without hours of cooking. After dumping everything in and setting the timer, the pressure cooker handles the rest. It’s efficient, requires little prep, and is great for keeping on hand throughout the week.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Beef Chili

Taco Biscuit Bake with Ground Beef

This dish layers biscuit dough and taco-seasoned ground beef in a baking dish and bakes until puffed and golden. The prep is limited to browning the meat and assembling everything in one dish. It’s a straightforward recipe that works well in rotation when you need a quick bake-and-go dinner.
Get the Recipe: Taco Biscuit Bake with Ground Beef

Mexican Ground Beef Taco Soup with Black Beans

Beans, beef, broth, and seasonings simmer together in one pot, bringing the flavor of tacos into a hearty soup format. Minimal chopping is required and everything cooks together, making this a practical option for a dump-and-go style dinner.
Get the Recipe: Mexican Ground Beef Taco Soup with Black Beans

Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole

Frozen meatballs, dry pasta, marinara sauce, and cheese all go into one baking dish without any pre-cooking. The oven takes care of softening the pasta and heating the meatballs while the cheese melts over the top. It’s an efficient, no-boil meal for nights when energy is low.
Get the Recipe: Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole

Tortellini Bake

Pre-made tortellini, cooked ground beef, and marinara are layered with cheese and baked in under an hour. With only a few ingredients and one pan, this is the kind of dinner that comes together fast but still tastes like a complete meal. It’s perfect for when you want something hearty without hovering over the stove.
Get the Recipe: Tortellini Bake

Ground Beef Zucchini Casserole

Sliced zucchini, beef, onions, and sauce bake together under a layer of melted cheese in one dish. You don’t need to sauté or pre-cook the ingredients beyond a quick mix. It’s a practical way to stretch a pack of ground beef and use up extra vegetables in the fridge.
Get the Recipe: Ground Beef Zucchini Casserole

Crock Pot Ground Beef Taco Meat

Ground beef and seasoning cook together in the slow cooker, creating a make-ahead filling that works for tacos, bowls, and wraps. Everything goes in raw, and the slow cooker takes care of the rest. It’s a helpful option when you want dinner prepped early in the day with no added effort later.
Get the Recipe: Crock Pot Ground Beef Taco Meat

Ground Beef Pot Pie

Ground beef, vegetables, and condensed soup are mixed, topped with pie crust, and baked in one dish. The crust bakes golden on top while the filling heats through, giving you a full dinner without stovetop cooking. It’s a smart dump-and-bake method for when you want something hearty with minimal prep.
Get the Recipe: Ground Beef Pot Pie

Sodium Lasagna

This version of lasagna uses reduced-sodium ingredients while still layering pasta, cheese, and meat sauce into a baked casserole. It follows a traditional method with baked assembly, but the reduced salt content makes it more approachable for specific dietary needs without sacrificing ease.
Get the Recipe: Sodium Lasagna

Creamy Baked Ziti

Ziti, sauce, cheese, and beef come together in one pan and bake until bubbling. You don’t need to prepare a separate béchamel or layer each ingredient with precision. It’s a dependable ground beef meal that works well for meal prepping and serves a full table with very little effort.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Baked Ziti

Carnivore Meatballs

These meatballs are shaped from ground beef, seasoning, and a few fridge staples, then baked on a tray or in a dish. No sauces or fillers required, just a protein-packed option that’s easy to batch and reheat. It’s a straightforward dump-and-bake method with minimal prep and cleanup.
Get the Recipe: Carnivore Meatballs

Frito Taco Bake

Layers of ground beef, cheese, and crushed corn chips are built in a baking dish and baked until the cheese melts and everything holds together. No need for sides—this one covers all the bases in a single dish. It’s useful when you want something filling that doesn’t need babysitting.
Get the Recipe: Frito Taco Bake

Easy Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole

This version skips the rolling and just layers cabbage, beef, rice, and sauce in a single baking dish. Everything cooks together until the rice is soft and the cabbage is tender. It turns a labor-heavy meal into a hands-off dinner that works any night of the week.
Get the Recipe: Easy Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole